The moment Ethan left, the penthouse felt wrong.
Not empty—just… unfinished. As though the space itself had been holding its breath while he was there and had now exhaled all at once, leaving behind something hollow and unsettled.
Amelia stood near the door long after it closed behind him.
The soft click echoed louder than it should have.
Trust me.
The words replayed in her mind, over and over, refusing to settle into comfort the way they had earlier. She wrapped her arms around herself, not cold, but needing the grounding pressure. Outside, rain streaked down the glass walls in long, silver lines, blurring the city into a wash of light and shadow. Thunder rolled, deeper now, closer.
She turned and walked slowly back toward the living room, her footsteps barely making a sound on the
